Pirates Fall to Yankees in Opener; Fans Hit Breaking Point, Loudly Rip Nutting

PITTSBURGH — Outside home runs from Bryan Reynolds and Ke’Bryan Hayes, the only time fans of the Pittsburgh Pirates showed genuine enthusiasm in a 9-4 home opener loss to the New York Yankees was to say one thing.

“Sell the team.”

These chants could be heard at various points during the game when the Pirates looked particularly sloppy, and they did quite often on Friday.

The game didn’t have much of a home opener feel to it. The Pirates, who fell to 2-6 with the loss, looked flat for much of the game. They didn’t play clean and were never really in the game against a team that won the American League pennant last season.

Joey Wentz entered the game in the fourth. with the bases loaded and two outs in relief of a struggling Mitch Keller. He proceeded to hit a batter to push across a run then walk the next to plate yet another.

“Sell the team,” could be heard from more than a few of the 36,893 fans in attendance at the opener.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa led off the bottom of the first inning. Shortly thereafter, he was picked off first base. The same message was once again delivered by the Pirates’ faithful.

“Sell the team.”

Aaron Judge homered in the seventh inning to extend the Yankees’ lead to 9-1. The familiar three words followed.

“Sell the team.”

One thing was clear from the Pirates’ first game at PNC Park in 2025. The fans have reached their breaking point. And it’s hard to blame them.

At one point, Nutting made his way up the left field rotunda. Fans again took the opportunity to voice their displeasure.

Bob picked the wrong day to walk to suite level on the rotunda. pic.twitter.com/gFTZVndTI3

— Gabe Mazefsky (@abuccofan) April 4, 2025

Their displeasure was evident even before the gates were open to the public. In the hours leading up to the game, a plane with a banner reading the same message was flying overhead the North Shore.

Optimism is a word I usually associate with a home opener. No matter what a team did the year before or what they are projected for at the start of the year, breaking in a new season at a home ballpark is a fresh slate and invigorates a crowd, at least for a time.

Well, there wasn’t much optimism or excitement for the Pirates’ return to Pittsburgh this time.

As a 27-year-old, I have seen four Pirates’ winning seasons in my life. This is the most frustrated I have ever seen a long-time suffering fan base. By far. And I can’t blame them.

Up Next

LHP Bailey Falter (0-0, 3.00 ERA) will start for the Pirates in the second game of the series on Saturday. RHP Marcus Stroman (0-0, 5.79 ERA) will start for the Yankees. First pitch: 4:05 p.m. ET.